Companies judged by deeds, not words

Companies that make strong claims about their 'greenness' have been savaged by Greenpeace. In its report Greenwash, written for the summit, Greenpeace says that Shell accounts for approximately 3 per cent of the human contribution to emissions of carbon dioxide and plays an 'aggressive role' in the drive to develop the world's one trillion barrels of known oil reserves.

The report by the International Chamber of Commerce, From Ideas into Action, paints a different picture. It quotes a senior manager in Shell as saying 'our future must be one in which Shell companies excel in environmental performance'.

Also in the ICC report, Yoshinobu Nagano of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce says Mitsubishi 'realises that the conservation of forest resources is of utmost importance'. The Japanese multinational company is experimenting with a reforestation project in Sarawak. But, says Greenpeace, 'Mitsubishi is a leading destroyer of tropical rainforest. The Malaysian operation in ...

To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.

To continue reading this article, log in or subscribe to New Scientist

App + web

Web

Smartphone

Tablet

$25.99 - Save 65%

12 issues for $2.17 per issue

with continuous service

Print + web

Print

Web

$28.99 - Save 61%

12 issues for $2.42 per issue

with continuous service

Print + app + web

Print

Web

Smartphone

Tablet

$39.99 - Save 73%

12 issues for $3.33 per issue

with continuous service

Web

Web only

$49.99

30 day web pass

Prices may vary according to delivery country and associated local taxes.